MOBILE, Ala. ? The University of South Alabama women’s volleyball team dropped a 3-0 (21-30, 25-30, 27-30) decision to Arkansas State Saturday night in Sun Belt Conference action at Jag Gym.
The Lady Jags fall to 5-17 overall and 0-10 in conference play with the loss and the Lady Indians improve to 15-10 (6-3 SBC). USA will next begin a three-match road swing at Denver on Friday night at 7 p.m.
In game one with ASU leading 11-10, the Indians reeled off eight unanswered points to take a nine point lead. The run was capped off by a Mandy DeWalt kill, one of her 14 on the night. South Alabama was only able to get as close as five points the rest of the way and Arkansas State went on to take game one 30-21. Both teams came out hot from the floor, each hitting over .300.
For a majority of game two, neither team was able to get more than a three point advantage on each other. Leading 26-25, the Indians pushed across the final four points to go up 2-0 in the match with the 30-25 victory. The mini-run to end the game was led by two more kills from DeWalt. Game two saw nine ties and six lead changes.
In the third and deciding game, Arkansas State held a 13-6 advantage after a Jaguar attack error, but South Alabama kept battling and eventually clawed its way back and knotted the contest back up at 15-15 on an attack error from the Indians. Jenna Swilley finally gave South Alabama a 20-19 lead, its first lead of game three. ASU quickly answered right back with the next four points to hold a 23-20 lead. The Jaguar women did not quit though and again battled back and took a two point lead at 27-25 after a Taylor Irvin kill and three straight Indian miscues. ASU, however, regrouped and took the final five points to take the game and the match with a 30-27 victory. Stormy Schuler finished off the Indian win with a service ace, one of Arkansas State’s 12 on the night.
Offensively, the Jags were led by Swilley’s 10 kills. Irvin, Jennifer Johnson and Brittany Blackwelder also had seven kills each for USA. ASU placed a pair of players in double digit kill tallies, led by DeWalt’s 14.
